Desert Whiskey
by SevenSi
Summary: an adventuring they go, into the wasteland, and to the strip. M for language.


_**chapter one: whiskey**_

* * *

><p>"It smells like... <em>fiend<em>." the ginger-haired woman with the thick-rimmed goggles and whiskey-soft breath said through her unusually white teeth. Her knees buckled little, to crouch and she touched his sweaty back, the shirt clung to the wetness, drenching him as if he took a dip into the river.

The sun beat relentlessly the day through and even when they couldnt tell time, the sun too gave way for the shape of helmet's and bullets grazing through the air. The blur of furry blue stormed by, like lightning, surprisingly so, for one so enormous. Her large hand holding the super sledge effortlessly and dropping several fiends to the ground with one swoop.

"Stating the obvious, Cass?" the courier replied, his back against hers, the leather and brahmin scents permeating from their skins. They've been traveling through this rugged terrain with Ed-e and Arcade, and that big, blue nightkin who tries to protect him, calling him her baby. It didnt bother him the least, as she jumped straight into the devil's fire and flames of vault three's fiend territory.

Cass threw dynamite and chucked them as far as her swinging arm could take it. She could take on any monster in the war- torn and vegas heat, from drinking any man under the table to shoving the double barrelled shotgun of hers right into their nutsack. He didnt mind, as long as it weren't his. He gazed through his stolen sunglasses, the sun was glaring at them like a fat bellied tequila worm. The courier licked his lips as the noisy sound of the dynamite exploded into several fiends, sending their arms and legs shattering across the hard sandy ground. The blood splattered like the sound of a radless river from the east, but it was the sound of Arcade's plasma that melted them to a gooey green guck.

"Shut up, Quintin, if that's your name." She retorted back with another snap of her elbow going back to pull the shotgun towards another row of fiends approaching. On the other end, the little eye-lit construction of a floating helmet zapped and zapped, managing to disintegrate one enemy, whilst another battles with a baseball bat to take a swing at Ed-e's back. The little guy makes a confused bleeping noise as its metal back was hit with a resounding clank. The courier pointed towards the fiend and pulled the 10mm submachine gun, firing until he had to reload.

When it was over, the bodies lay in disarray, some broken, a few neon green smudges on the ground, and Arcade holstered his precious piece of technology away. The courier had given him a combat suit, to replace the poorly miserable lab coat which served close to nothing for protection. The doctor insisted of keeping it away, while he had been satisfied that he wouldnt die so easily with a suit that held twenty plus protection. One of the best, while he, the courier, spent lavishly on himself to save for the most expensive operation at the New Vegas medical office near Crimson Caravan.

He didnt want to tell them, and frankly he didnt think it was any of their business. Cass, he felt, at times a regret to taking her along. He never said he was a fucking saint, for christ sakes, as he used stealth to steal items that he needed, but she reprimanded him and was acting like a marm or worse, like a wife he never wanted. She wore very little, and he kept it that way. She had worse protection than Arcade when he met her, so whatever he gave her in exchange she took. Except for that damned hat she wore. Looked like a hokey cowgirl so he gave her a combat helm which she happily wore. That, and a pair of near-damaged scratchy goggles so he wouldnt see her disapproving glare when he stole.

They picked what they could at the dead bodies laying around, and found many weapons they could use, and a few that were beyond repair. In the end, it was barely manageable for him to carry and he used Ed-e as a brahmin pack, coming in second was Lily, who didnt complain one bit. Arcade didnt mind being used as a packhaul, he just didnt want to be treated as a brahmin, and in his words - treated like any animal. When they finished what they could salvage, it was Lily who mumbled being very hungry and very hot. The courier glanced at her, seeing as she did look like a big, blue wet carpet, the smell of her fur reeking with that special brand of - whatever nightkin smelled like - something of a combination of nightstalker and chems.

"Yes, how about a pub with a bath and all the accommodations?"

Cass chirped in, "We can't afford anything expensive, and the strips closeby. The most affordable is the vault across the embassy. You seem to get that little blonde who owns the place going for dirt cheap 10 caps a night and the room comes with showers and computers. It is your endless and bountiful charm." Though her words were sarcatic, she sent him a stunning smile. Cass was irritating as hell, but she had a pretty smile and great teeth for someone living in this godforsaken wasteland. Most people didnt have time to care for their teeth, especially traveling merchants.

And she drove it home, how she was ineffected by his charms. He paid heavily to have it raised to nine. He can't wait till he's up to a ten. That'll have to wait. For now, it is getting him every barter system anywhere in the wastes.

He didnt want to go to the vault, no indeed. He didnt like the NCR either, and it was enough for him to just grit his teeth to pretend to do favours for the new republic so he could earn decent caps. It wasn't his fault that everytime he did these errands for them, they raised his status like he was one of them. Even sent Cass grinning from ear to ear. Her and her bloody connection to the NCR. One of these days, he'd drop her in the middle of the wasteland, preferably somewhere near the Legion stronghold and tell her goodbye. For now, he needed her. She could make the best moonshine, and damn, that woman could beat the hell out of her opponents with what little she wore.

Arcade nodded his bright head, wearing the rawhide cowboy hat made out of straw wasn t enough shade for him, and his usually clear eyeglasses which gave him a plus two perception was now dusted with splattered specks of blood, `I would like to make another suggestion. We have pooled together, perhaps a good amount of caps, maybe several hundred. And if we sell some of the items we don t need, we can get several hundred more. A few nights rest is a good idea, but going to the strip is more distraction than we need right now. There is a few miles down, just a small campsite we just passed, with a campfire, a shoddy roof and a few mattresses. There s a coffeepot to make coffee, a few cups scattered and some metal boxes in which we will find perhaps some tin plates and metal spoons for the food we ve collected to cook.`

The courier wanted to hug Arcade for the brilliant suggestion. He was just too bloody tired after the fiend fight. They didnt even suggest staying around here, where there were several campfires to arouse, and a few metal roofs to cover them during the sun setting towards the west.

`Allright,` Cass agreed, `sounds good to me. And we ve got the whiskey, and got us some vodka and purified water to help ease it down.` She dusted off her painstake armoured boots, adjusted her metal bra, and set her shotgun on her back.

As night began to fall, the courier guessed it was at least eleven by then, and the fire simmered after they had eaten their cooked gecko steak, drank two bottles of whisky between them, with the packed glasses Lily insisted to bring along. There were even some dandy apple snacks for dessert at the end of the meal. The courier decided to pull out the fresh pear he saved for this occasion. He was still hot, as the evening only gave way to one degree lower than a few hours ago.

They drank up all the purified water whilst Lily was happy with her dirty water, as the rads in it healed her. She was the only one who didnt really like to drink the whisky for entertainment. She managed to find a rad filled water barrel where she can use the coffee cup to pour water over her body to bathe. There was some abraxo cleaner she had used to smother into a powdered white soapy lather. Thankfully, she bathed at the other end of the campsite, whilst the three of them hunkered around the fire in the open terrain. There were some honey suckled trees and large rocks they could set their bodie against for back support but other than that, it was roughing it as usual.

While chewing on the last gecko steak, Cass wiped the last oiled meat from her lips and swallowed it down with a new bottle of vodka. `Mmmm. that's tastier than the moonshine I make.`

`Your moonshine taste like ass.` The courier retorted back,while savouring his almost half eaten pear. Ede perched close to the courier, his machinations made some clinky clunky noises and proceeded to shut down as an indication of resting.

`Haha,`Arcade made a half attempt of a laugh, clearly understanding the tension between the courier and Cass. He didnt really care one way another for Cass either. He had no opinion of the NCR, nor of Cass and her drunkenly manner. But she could shoot and chuck dynamite, and that woman's body could last a bloody fight while Arcade could barely last half the time she could. If it weren't for the combat armour, he'd have fallen way down the wayside before she could get the next shot to the following victim. The woman was a crazy bitch and all the Kings on Freeside called her the crazy sexy cowgirl and the fiends that didnt turn red with battle inside the vault wanted to "hit" that. Not the courier. He was into women but NOT into Cassidy. Even if she looked good drinking down her whiskey and shoving the double barrell down a large mutant's mouth.

`Goddammit!" She screeched scratchily back at the courier, "I saved your ass, so many times, and this is the thanks I get. Well fuck you, mister courier from Goodsprings...ughhh."

She was slurring her words, her shining eyes wet with unshed tears, and she was stumped against the rock for support. She managed to get up and walk unsteadily to her mattress and wave backward at the men, `I m going to sleep. Wake me when there's action.`

The sound of her soft snoring followed after. The courier looked at Arcade, `What is it that you really want, Arcade, I mean why did you actually follow me all over the wasteland to get shot at and practically tortured by the sun.`

`Well,` Arcade took a drink of his last bottle of purified water, `I was hoping you'd help for an independent freeside, independent of NCR or Legion, but really, as long as you dont work for the Legion, anything s better than that.`

The courier harumped, `That's all you ever say, Arcade. You're a bloody genius but you say the same damn thing.`

`I guess I dont really have much to say, I m really very boring and quite simple in my needs.`

`I suppose you're right.`

And they stared towards the moon, which now glowed on Lily's blue furred body, making her silhoulette larger than a moving mountain.

`I m just glad I didnt pick up Boone back at Novac.` The courier said as an afterthought. The whiskey and vodka now reaching his senses, dulling him.

`Yes, why did you not may I ask,` Arcade looked at him solemnly.

`I would have to kiss NCR's ass.`

Arcade gave a secret smile in the fading darkness, and propped himself up on his elbows, staring into the flickering campfire, "yes, now wouldnt that be something to see. I'm glad you're seeing things my way, that's what I like to hear."

"You know which direction I'm taking dont you, Arcade?" The courier waved the bottleneck towards the doctor, "Ah you clever follower,"

"I followed you in the beginning because I took pity on you, to tell the truth. You - looked lost, and well, I didnt want you to do anything stup- " He stopped, then sighed, and continued, "but you seem to have managed your intellect really well over the course of a few weeks."

"Took only a gulp of beer to get you to see things my way. I needed a doctor with your medical skill along for the ride."

"As long as we understand eachother, Quintin, I'll be your gun and healer," Arcade calmly said.

Lily approached them, "Grandma will sleep with my baby."

The courier perked up, "WHA! oh HELL NO!`


End file.
